Spacer element for typographical machines



March 8, 1949. H. R. FREUND SPACER ELEMENT FOR TYPOGRAPHICAL MACHINES 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 6, 1947 INVENTOR HERMAN R. FREUND ATTORNEY March 8, 1949. R, FREUND 2,464,078

SPACER ELEMENT FOR TYPOGRAPHICAL MACHINES Filed June 6, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR HERMAN R- FREUND ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 8, 1949 UNITED": PATENT OFFICE? MACHIN Herman R: Freund,aBrooklyn, N. Y., assignor to Interty-pe florporation, Brooklyn, N. Y., a corporation-of NewrYork,

Application-Jailed, 1947, Serial No. 753,129

11 Claims;- (CI. 95-45) This invention relates to improvementsv in spacer elements, commonly known asblanks or quads and employed inztypographical line-com A posing machinesfor establishing separation be tween characters, and'more especially between words, in composed'linesoi character-bearing elements from which may -be reproduced lines of type matter useful for printing purposes.-

More particularly, theinventionis concerned with a quad or spacer element the thickness-f which, in contrastto the variety offixedthickness spacer elementsheretoiore used, may be adjusted so that the one-element alone maybe usedto establish differentamounts of separation at the points-where it-occursin a composedline of elements.

An adjustable spacersuch' as herein provided is especially useful and advantageous in conec-- tion withtypographical machines constructed;

and arranged to produce lines of type matter photographically, for-example, a machineof the gen-- eral organization disclosed in U", S. Patent No. 2,395,659, of 'which I am =co-,inventor, and the invention is herein disclosed "by way of example as applied to a machine of this class.

Among'the objects of the inventionare the fol-P.

lowing: to provide anadjustable quador, spacer element capable ,of storage; assemblage, circulation and distribution in the manner of and by the well known organs used for like, purposes in handling ordinaryvquads 'andcharacter-bearing.

matrices in commercial line composing and type slug casting machines; to provide a spacer ele ment having a minimurnnormal thickness but expansible 'to at least one, other thickness, and 7 having expanding means which m self-operative to maintain the element at suchotherthickness during circulation in the machine; to provide. means for expanding such spacerelement;while,

contained in an, assembled or composed line, of

elements, andmeans for restoring it to normal thickness prior to circulationthrough, the. dis

tributing organs of the machine.

Other objects will be,,in,part tobvlousnand in,

part pointed out hereinafter In the present embodiment, the spacer element as viewed flatwise has the marginal outlines, including the upper and lowerprojecting lugs and the distributing.teeth common to the well known,

blanks or quadsand alsotqthe' character-bearing matrices long known and used gincomrnercial typographical machines. Viewed edgewise, however, the element distinguishes from the solid one-piece constructionof such known quads and matrices-in that it-comprisesoutenorside plates-1 made of resilient'materialiand secured together;- flatwise toward their upper and lower -ends 1in;.,, parallel relation but spaced apart as by, means, of upper and lower separating or bodyflmembersl Y In th opening left between the assembledparts,

is inserted an, adjustable slide adaptedto move laterally edgewise to efiect expansion and contrac tion of the. element, [Sfild slide being provided with transverse apertures or holes, andithe op posed flexible side plates being ,providedzwith correspondingly disposed depressions adaptednto.v

seat in such holes. The arrangementissuch that when th slide .is inits forward orinactiveposition thedepressionsmate with the. holesv and, due to the. springy nature of the side plates ,the: latterassume a relaxed and parallel condition so that the element has itsnormal. 'orrminimum-H thicknessbut whenthe slide is pressed in or rearwardly the holes become; displaced relativewx to the depressions so that the fiexibleside plates. are deflected or bowed outwardly and thereby expand the thickness of the element;

chine,

used;

The foregoing and other-objects, advantages:- and features of constructionwvill-be described I hereinafter indetailinconnection with'the ac companying drawings which illustrate one -embodimentofthe invention. Obviously, the form and arrangement of the parts and their-mode on operation; and the manner-inwhich the invention is applied'to one oranotheriorm of ty-pographical machine may vary in many ways with-= out departing from the spiritof the invention? It is therefore to-be understood that the inven tionis limited only insofar as'expressedinthe claims.

In 7 the drawings:

Figurel is a side-elevation, on-an-enlargedscale, showing the spacer element of the invention with its 'adjustahleslide in forwarder-nor mal position whereby the element assumes znin-- imum thickness.

Figure 2 is a section taken-on-the line '2--2 of- Figure 1'.

Figures is similar-to-Figure 1 butshowsthe spacer element with its adjustable slide pressed rearwardly whereby the thickness of the element is expanded.

Figure 4 is an end elevation viewed from the right edge of the element shown in Figure 3.

Figure 5 is an exploded view, in perspective, showing the component parts of the element.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary view showing an expanded spacer element upon arrival at the photographing position, and showing the memoer provided for engaging and momentarily holding each element at such position and which operates, upon such engagement, to restore the adjustable slide of the spacer element to normal position.

Figure '7 is a fragmentary view, in section, of th lower end of a standard typographical magazine with spacer elements of the invention stored therein.

Figure 8 is a front elevation of the usual lineassembling elevator to which is applied the presser bar herein provided for actuating the adjustable slides of such spacers as may be contained in a line composed in the elevator.

Figure 9 is a section taken on the line 99 of the Figure 8 with the presser bar forward or inactive.

Figure 10 is a fragmentary section similar to Figure 9, but shows the presser bar in operated position for adjusting the slides of the spacer elements.

As already pointed out, the invention is herein disclosed by way of example as applied to a photocomposing machine of the general organization shown and described in U. S. Patent No. 2,395,- 659, and reference may be had to this patent for details of construction deemed unnecessary todwell upon here. To explain briefly and to the extent necessary for a full understanding of the invention, apart from certain modifications required for photographic purposes the machine referred to embodies element storage, assembling and distributing devices long known and used in commercial typographical line composing and type slug casting machines. Further, the character-bearing elements employed, commonly called matrices, have the familiar characteristics of those used in such known machines except that instead of the usual intaglio character in the narrow edge from which to cast, they carry a photographable character on a film plaque framed in the broad side of the body.

'An example of such photographable elements is shown and described in the patent hereinabove referred to and the edgewise thickness of the body of such elements varies in accordance with the setwise Width of the characters respectively borne thereby, all as well known in connection with the standard slug casting matrices.

For photographic reproduction purposes the machine referred to is arranged to produce the lines of type matter letter-by-letter from composed lines containing such photographable character-bearing elements and containing wordspace elements (blank matrices or quads) of fixed thickness. For producing successive lines all justified to a common desired length, the length of the composed line of elements is first measured .to determine the total amount by which it is short of the justified length desired. The elements are then removed edgewise one-by-one from the leading end of the composed line and moved along a feed channel to a photographing position where the pointed end of a reciprocating finger engages a small V-shaped notch in the front edge of the particular element to momentarily hold it at such position for exposure. Upon release by retreat of said finger the successively exposed elements are moved further along the feed channel to a discharging position from which they are distributed back to their respective places of storage on the machine. Upon each removal of an element from the composed line of elements a line advancing member acts to advance the remaining elements to the extent of the edgewise thickness of the particular removed element, and such advancing action is transmitted to the sensitized medium (film or paper) in order to present fresh areas thereof for receiving the successive photographic exposures. During each such advance the devices previously operating to measure the total amount of shortage of the line of elements as originally composed react, and such reaction operates to increment the extent of the particular advance by a portion of the measured amount of shortage, such portion being determined and governed by the thickness of the particular removed element. The total measured shortage is thus progressively distributed in increments among all of the reproduced characters and word spaces to form the justified line of type matter, and such manner of distributing line-shortage may aptly be termed progressive justification.

As will be apparent to those familiar with the technic of typography and the practice of type composition, such distribution of line-shortage among letters as well as Words materially improves typographical apearance since it avoids the frequently seen wide gaps resulting from the common practice heretofore of distributing all of the shortage equally among only the relatively few word spaces in a line. However, it will also be apparent that if the total amount of shortage is quite large its distribution by increments among letters and word spaces as well might result in the unpleasing eifect of gaping letter spaces, especially in the case of short length lines.

The adjustable spacer shortly to be described affords convenient and effective means whereby, in a machine arranged to distribute line-shortage among letters as well as words, the operator or compositor may alter his initial word spacing and thus avoid the possibility of objectionably wide letter spacing when the line is finally reproduced. In other words, the adjustable spacer element herein provided affords the operator of the machine the opportunity, prior to the aforesaid progressive justifying action, to absorb, only between the words, some part of any excessive amount of line-shortage. Viewed in another light, the invention provides a single blank or quad spacer which is adjustable in thickness and thus capable of serving the purposes of several elements of different fixed thicknesses as heretofore necessary to employ in order to deal with difficult situations arising when excessive line shortage is encountered.

Referring to the drawings which show one convenient form of construction for the spacer element of the invention, the element comprises the thin opposed outer or side plates I and 2 which may be made of any resilient material such as spring steel, brass or even a suitable plastic material. The plates i and 2 are suitably secured together toward their upper and lower ends in parallel spaced relation, as by securement to the opposite parallel sides of upper and lower separators-B and 4; respectively, in'such manner: that I the marginal outlines of the plates coincide and thesextreme top and bottom edges of the respective separators are flush .with'the corresponding edges of the side plates.

As evident, the foregoing parts so assembled provide an element having the marginal outlines of a standard matrix. Thus, the side platesthe familiar distributing teeth 3a, and as plainly indicated the side plates arenotched deep enough at the top to clear these teeth when the parts are secured together in the manner described.

In the opening extending 'edgewise through the spacer body and formed by the assembled separators'and side plates is inserted the spacer adjusting slide 5 which is made to neatly fit between the side plates and is provided with a tongue 6 projecting from its front vertical edge, this tongue being used to press the slide rearwardly as later explained. The slide 5 is apertured, preferably by way of the two holes? and 8 drilled transversally through it, and the side plates are provided with. depressions adapted. when the slide is disposed forwardly in the opening, as seen in Figsl and 2, to register with and seat or engage in the respective holes from opposite sides thereof. Thus, as shown, the depressions 9, ill in plate -l seat in the holes I and 8 from the left side while the depressions ll, l2 in plate 2 seat in these holes from the right side. In this forward position of the slide 5 the element assumes its minimum thickness, the resilient side plates beingrelaxed and lying flat and parallel against the separators 3 and 4 as well as the slide itself, and the tongue 6 projects forwardly of the body of the element to about the same extent as do the .upper .and lower lugs X and Y, while the rear edgeof the slide stands flush with the rear edge of the body.

Turningnow to Figs. 3 and 4, it will be seen thattheslide 5 has been pressed rearwardly so that its-rear edge projects outwardly beyond the rear edge of the element to the extent that tongue E5 has receded into the edgewise opening inwhich the slide operates; slide the holes i and 3 are displaced and no longer register with the depressions in the respective side-plates the latter become bowed outwardly and'thus increase the efiective thickness of the element, the depressions inthe side plates now bearingyieldingly against unapertured portions ofthe opposite sides of the slide, all as'cleariy indicated in'Figs. 3 and 4. It will be evident that due to the springy nature of the side plates I and 2 the depressions therein will exert sufficient pressureagainst the slide 5 to firmly hold the latter in its rearward or expanding position until it is forcibly acted upon to press it to the forward position-"where thedepressions may snapinto the holes and so restore the element to its minimum thickness.

The space indicated at 13 in Fig. 2 represents clearance for allowing the element to contract slightly 'in'vertical height, as it must do when the side' plates-are distorted or bowed outwardly by the slide and the depressions.

Adjustable spacer elements 'such' as just-described are capable of storage in the well known channeled 'magazines employed 'in commercial Since in this position of the.

611 typographical machines for 1 storing fonts of character-bearing matrices and: the ordinary:- fixed thickness blank oriquadumatrices. Thus; in Fig. 7 two of'the adjustable thicknessfspacers of the present invention are shownyheld bythe usual rocker escapement l4, in'one of the channels of the magazine -M. It-will be observed that when so stored the spacers are in normal-onrelaxed condition with their front edges, from v which the tongues E'project; facing. upward. From this it will be evident that'the' tongues '6 in no way conflict with the functioning, inwell known manner, of the rocker escapement. It will also be evident that since the tongues 6 project no'f-urther frorn'the front edge of the body of the elements than do the usual upper and lower lugsJX" 'andY, such tongues'willin no way interfere withpassage of the elementsthrough the usual assembling organs of the machine; And

' while the usual distributing organs of the machine are not herein shown, those familiar with typographical machines will immediately recognize that the tongue ii,disposed as it is at the front edge of the element, presents no obstacle to the free passage of the element through these organs.

Referringrto Figs. 8, 9 and 10, character and spacer elements when released from the storage magazine are directed by the familiardownwardly inclined belt (not shown) over the rotatingv star wheel starting position adjacent to the star wheel 15.

The finger i 8 is free to advance, as usual-against thev restraining action of a light spring (not shown), until an adjustable stop (not shown) which .the operator sets to the line-measure desired is encountered by a stop block (not shown) on the slide bar l9. However, advance to thisexactly"full-line extent will rarely occur since in practice at least some shortage is always left for line justification purposes. In addition to an em scale by which the aforesaid stop is set the assembling elevator is provided with the usual em scale it by which the growth of the linemay be observed by sighting the position of the finger [8 relative to this scale. When composition of "the lin is completed the elevator E'is raised' manually, as well known, to deliver the line to the reproducing mechanism of the machine.

As wellknown, the elevator E is provided with a so-called high alignmentrail 2| which extends longitudinallyof the assembling .channel and is arranged to reciprocate for. and aft. Since the high-alignment function of irail 2| is not used in the photocomposing machine hereinabove referred to and to which the present -invention is applied, thisrailis conveniently of elements; thus "to increase the "thickness of 7 such spacers and thereby absorb at least some part of any excessive amount of line-shortage that might be judged to exist.

For operating the rail or presser bar 2| to actuate the slides 5, the bar is operatively connected, as usual, with the upright rocker arms 23, 24 pinned to the cross shaft 25, the latter being supported in bearing lugs 26, 21 integral with or otherwise secured to the front wall of the elevator E. Pinned to shaft 25 is a finger lever 28 by which this shaft may be rocked whereby to operate the presser bar. A spring 29 serves to urge the rail or bar 2! forwardly to its normal position as seen in Fig. 9.

Decision as to whether or not to use the presser bar 2| is up to the operator but is not necessarily a matter of special skill or expert judgment. Thus, operators in general are familiar with the fact that for good typography lines should be set as full as possible and that gaps between words should be kept to a minimum. They are also familiar with the fact that if the line measure being set is quite short it is more difficult to completely fill out a line by adding a word or by breaking a word properly into syllables in order to fill out the line. Of course with the facility of progressive justification or incremental distribution of line shortage between letters as well as words-as in the photo-composing machine already referred tooperators will realize that a somewhat greater amount of line shortage may be disposed of or absorbed without resulting in any perceptible or at least objectionable increase in letter spacing. However, without the adjustable spacer of the present invention adjustments to take-up excessive shortage Would entail either removing word-space elements of a fixed minimum thickness and replacing them by elements of a greater fixed thickness, or else resetting the line entirely. Such practice is not only tedious and time-consuming but indeed inadequate for economical and efficient production.

As a general guide in determining whether or not to use the bar 2|, the rule may be followed that the composed line should be filled to the extent that it is not more than ,l-em short of the line measure being set. For example, assuming that the measure being set is 18-ems, the length of the line of elements between finger l8 and star wheel ill in Fig. 8 is indicated by the position of finger l8 relative to scale 20 as being more than l-em short of the desired 18- ems. Accordingly the presser bar 2i should be used to expand the spacers present between the words in this composed line of elements, thereby to take-up or absorb some of the excessive shortage before delivering the line, in well known manner, to the reproducing mechanism for distribution, by the progressive justifying action already referred to, of the still remaining amount of shortage among the letters as Well as the words.

The operated position of the presser bar 2!, 22 after pressing the slides rear-wardly is shown in Fig. 10, it being understood that immediately upon actuating the slides the presser bar retracts to the forward position in Fig. 9 under the influence of spring 29. It will also be understood that as the spacers are expanded the finger l8 advances along the scale 20 to the extent that the length of the line is increased between the star wheel and the finger, thus enabling the operator to observe from the scale the amount of shortage remaining after operating the presser bar.

It should be pointed out here that the amount by which the length of a composed line may be increased, through adjustment of the expansible spacers in the foregoing manner, will depend upon the number of such spacers in the composed line and upon the expansibility of the spacer elements themselves. The spacer element herein provided may be constructed to provide one or another minimum thickness, for example, thirty, thirty-five or forty thousandths of an inch. But the expansibility will depend of course upon the depth of the depressions in the side plates. Thus, to attain twenty thousandths expansion the depressions would be made ten thousandths deep and in such case the separators and slide would have to be of such thickness, at least twenty thousandths in order that such depth depressions would be free to seat fully from opposite sides of the holes. The depth of the depressions and the thickness chosen for the separators is a purely arbitrary matter and may be varied to meet different conditions and requirements.

Assuming that the spacer elements of the invention have been expanded, by operation of the bar 2 1, means is provided for restoring the slides 5 to their normal or forward position prior to passage of such elements through the distributing organs of the machine. Such restoring means is shown in Fig. 6 and comprises the pointed reciprocable finger 3B which, in the photo-composing machine herein referred to, operates to engage each element upon its arrival, along the feed channel 3|, at the photographing position and to hold it momentarily aligned optically and at rest at such position for exposure. For cooperating with the pointed end of finger 3b to align each element at the photographing position, the spacer elements herein disclosed are provided on their rear edge with the same -shaped notch N as is provided in the corresponding edge of each character-bearing element.

As clearly shown in several of the drawings, the notch N is formed in the side plates I, 2 of each spacer element and in the adjustable slide 5. Accordingly, when a spacer arrives at the photographing position with its slide 5 projecting rearwardly, finger 30 in its forward stroke first engages the notch in the slide 5, and since this slide is free to move forwardly the finger 30 so moves it until stopped upon encountering and fully engaging the correspondingly notched portion in the two side plates of the spacer. At this time the slide is fully restored to its normal or forward position with the tongue 6 projecting from the front edge of the element, the depressions in the resilient side plates having snapped into the holes in the slide whereby the plates become relaxed and thus restore the element to its minimum thickness.

From the foregoing it will be clear that the invention provides a blank or quad spacer element which is adjustable in thickness and provides means for adjusting such element to expand it and for restoring it to normal or minimum thickness; that such element affords convenient and eificient means for taking up excessive lineshortage by enlarging the word spaces in a composed line of elements before such line is utilized for reproduction purposes.

I claim:

1. A typographical spacer having the marginal outlines ofua standard matrix, said spacer com- .zprising' opposed side plates formed from resilient vmateri'al and secured together flatwise toward -.their :upper andfllower ends in parallel spaced relation, a member slidable edgewise to'diffcrent fixed positions in the space betweensaid side g plates, and cooperating means so formed and relatively disposed on said member and .said

:plates that in one position of said member. the

side plates stand relaxed and in parallel relation? .whereas in another position of said member the side plates are flexed and held in oppositely outwardly bowed relation.

2.. A typographical spacer having the marginal 1 outlines of a standard matrix, said spacer comprising opposed side plates formed from resilient 1 material and secured togethenfiatwise toward their upper and lower ends in parallel spaced relation, a member slidable 'fore and aftin the space between said side plates and provided with: -at least one transverse aperture, a'depression formed in the respective side plates and-engagable in said aperture from opposite sides thereof to maintain the parallel relation of'the side plates, and a tongue projecting from one edge: :of said member for sliding it to a position wherein its apertureis displaced-relatively to said depression and the side plates are held outwardly bowed to the extent of the depth of the depressions.

3.-A typographical spacer having the marginal outlines of a standardmatrix, said spacer comprising opposed side plates formed from resilient material and secured in parallel relation fiatwise to upper and lower separators providing between them and the side plates an opening edgewise through the spacer, a slide formed to neatly fit said opening and adapted for limited movement edgewise therein between forward and rearward positions, said slide having transverse apertures and the side plates each having depressions formed therein at points such as to engage in said apertures to maintain the side plates parallel when the slide is in forward position, and a tongue on the slide projecting forwardly of the opening for moving the slide rearward to disengage said apertures and depressions and thereby increase the thickness of the spacer to the extent that the side plates are flexed outwardly by hearing of the depressions against unapertured portions of the slide.

4. A typographical spacer having the marginal outlines of a standard matrix, said spacer comprising opposed side plates formed from resilient material and secured in parallel relation flatwise to upper and lower separators whereby to provide between the plates an opening edgewise through the spacer, depressions formed in said side plates and protruding into said opening from opposite sides thereof, and a slide having apertures formed therein and adjustable in said opening from a position wherein said apertures accommodate the depressions and the side plates are relaxed and parallel to a position wherein the apertures are displaced relatively to the depressions and the latter in consequence hold the side plates in an outwardly bowed relation.

5. A typographical spacer having the marginal outlines of a standard matrix, said spacer comprising opposed side plates formed from resilient material and secured in parallel relation flatwise to upper and lower separators, said separators and plates presenting between them an opening edgewise through the spacer, a slide adjustable fore and aft to different fixed positions in said openingaand cooperating means formedon said slideand the respective-side plates for yieldingly 1 holding the'slide in' one or another position of adjustment and for holding the side plates in outwardly bowed relation in one of such positions.

'6. A spacer element adapted for use in a typographical: machine and for expansion and contraction in edgewise thickness, said element comprising opposed side plates made of a resilient material andsecured in parallel relation flatwise touupper arid lower separators-whereby to pro- 1 Wide an 2 opening through the element extending ufrom' the .front to the rear edge thereof, and a wherein eitherits front or its rear edge is flush separator member longer than said opening and shi'ftable edgewise therein between positions with the corresponding edge of the element,

actuating means in the machine for shifting said member from one to the other of said flush positions.

7.; A spacer element adapted for use in a typographical machine and for expansion in edgewise thickness, said element having similarly outlel spaced, relation and provided with portions protruding into the opening edgewise between the plates, and a member shiftable fore and aft in said opening between positions flush either with the rear or the front edges of the side plates, said member having portions which in the respective flush positions clear and encounter the protruding portions of the side plates, the edgewise thickness of the element being governed by flexing of the side plates between a parallel and an outwardly bowed relation and vice versa according to the flush position to which said member is shifted.

8. A typographical spacer having the marginal outlines of a standard matrix and expansible in edgewise thickness, said spacer comprising opposed resilient side plates secured in parallel relation fiatwise to upper and lower separators providing between them and the plates an opening edgewise through the spacer, a member having thick and thin portions and shiftab-le fore and aft in said opening between positions wherein a limited portion thereof projects beyond either the front or the rear edge of the side plates and separate means in the machine cooperative with the respective edges of the side plates for shifting said member to the extent of its projecting portion, and means on the inner opposed faces of the side plates which engage the thick or the thin portion of said member according to the shifted position of the latter and operate when said member is shifted to cause the side plates to flex between a parallel and an outwardly bowed relation.

9. In a typo-graphical photo-composing machine equipped with an assembling elevator for supporting a composed line of character and word-space elements from which to produce, letter-by-letter, a line of type matter and with photographing means including a reciprocable finger for holding each element at a photographring position, the combination of word-space elements having resilient side plates secured together flatwise in parallel spaced relation and having a slide shiftable edgewise between flushrear and flush-front positions in the space between the plates, said slide and said plates hav ing cooperating means formed thereon and cooperating to cause the plates to flex between a. parallel and an outwardly bowed relation according to the flush position of said slide, and a presser bar in the assembling elevator for shifting the slide to flush-front position wherein the side plates are outwardly bowed, the reciprocable finger at the photographic position operating to shift and restore the slide to flush-rear position wherein the side plates flex to a parallel relation.

10. In a typographical photo-composing machine having an assembling elevator for supporting a composed line of character and wordspace elements from which to produce a line of type matter and having a photographing posi-- tion and means for leading the elements singly and successively to such position for exposure to produce said line of type matter, the combination of word-space elements having resilient flatwise opposed side plates and a slide shiftable edgewise between the plates and between positions flush with the rear or the front edges thereof, the slide and the plates having portions formed and disposed to cooperate and maintain the plates in parallel or in outwardly bowed relation in said positions, respectively, of the slide, means in the assembling elevator for shifting to the flush-front position the slides of the word-space elements present in the composed line of ele ments to increase the length of said line to the extent that the side plates are bowed outwardly, and means at the photographing position for shifting the slide of each element to the flushrear position to restore the side plates to a parallel relation.

11. In a typographical photo-composing machine having an assembling elevator for supporting a composed line of character and word-space elements from which to produce a line of type matter and having a photographing position and means for leading the elements singly and successively to such position for exposure to produce said line of type matter, the combination of word-space elements having resilient flatwise opposed side plates and a slide having thick and thin portions and shiftable edgewrlse between the plates to positions flush with either the rear or the front edges thereof, a portion of said slide extending beyond one edge of the plates in either position of the slide, a longitudinal rail in the assembling elevator for shifting the slides of the spacers in a composed line of elements to the flush-front position wherein the thick portions of the slides flex and hold the side plates in an outwardly bowed relation, and a reciprocating member at the photographing position for shifting the slide of each element to the flush-rear position wherein the side plates flex inwardly against the thin portions of the slides.

HERMAN R. FREUND.

No references cited, 

